Colin Firth’s ex-wife has said she is returning her honorary MBE in response to Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK.
Livia Giuggioli, an environmental activist, was among the recipients of honorary British awards to foreign nationals in 2019 for services to sustainable fashion.
In an Instagram video on Wednesday, the Italian, 56, tore up the certificate she received after being made an MBE and wrote that the US president had been “appeased and honoured” during his state visit last week.
The film producer added: “In fact, last week’s display showed me nothing of those values I thought King Charles upheld – or its spirit.
“Rather, a frightening and cowardly display of appeasing someone who stands for the obliteration of the natural world and the most vulnerable people on earth.
“Because I can’t reconcile those two positions, I have shredded my honour and I am returning it to sender.
“I know so many honourable, decent British people who will be unable to reconcile their deeply held values of fairness and justice with the grotesque pantomime we witnessed.
“I think it’s only by taking a stand that we can make our feelings known.”
Giuggioli married Firth in 1997 and they split in 2019.
They have two sons, Luca and Matteo, who were both born in Rome, and lived together between London and Italy.
In 2017 it emerged that Firth had followed in the footsteps of his children and applied for dual UK and Italian citizenship, while Livia was applying for a British passport.
Firth has played Bridget Jones’s Mark Darcy, Love Actually’s Jamie, and King George VI in The King’s Speech.
